Culvert



June 26, 1934. F, L". cARswELl. Er AL 1,964,313

CULVERT Filed Sept. 18, 1933 ATTORNEYS Patented June 26, 1934 cULvEnr Firman L.' oarsweu and otto w. schmidt,

' Kansas City, `Mo.

Application september 1s, 1933, serial No. 689,912

10 Claims.

This invention relates to culverts used in creating subterranean passageways to accommodate the ow of water beneath road lls and in such similar places as are in need of a culvert having means for preventing objectionable washing or cutting away of the earth at points where a continuation of such action by the flowing water will soon entirely wash away the culvert body.

One of the primary aims of the instant invention is the contemplation of provision of a culvert having a settling well created at one or both ends thereof, which well is disposed to receive water as itflows from the passageway formed longitudinally through the culvert and to prevent undercutting or other objectionable washing at the immediate end of said passageway and culvert body.

Another object of the invention is to provide a frame for culverts that is constructed in a novel manner so that assembly might take place at the point of use in so far as bringing together the parts of the culvert which make it bulky and objectionable to ship if assembled at the manufacturing plant. A

This invention `further contemplates reiinements and improvements to culverts such as shown and described in our c'o-pending application for U. S. Letters Patent'Ser. No. 633,714, led September 19, 1932, and also in our U. S. Letters Patent No. 1,928,480 issued September 26, 1933. Minor objects of the present invention and novel structural features embodied in a culvert made in accordance with this invention will be made clear in the following description, referring to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective View of a culvert made in accordance with this invention, a part o f the wall being broken away for clearness.

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross section through the same.

Fig. 3 is a broken, contracted plan view of the culvert showing a modied form of-settling well at one end thereof.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary, vertical, longitudinal section through one end of the culvert afterr installation. Q

Fig. 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary, detailed, sectional View taken' on line Vv-Vv of Fig. 3, and,

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary, vertical section showing a part of the culvert made in accordance with the modiedform of the invention.

This culvert may be made entirely of metal and a frame 10 that is disposed in a substantially horizontal planecomprises longitudinal side rails 12 joined and held in spaced relation by a seriesV of transverse tie bars 14, one of which is positioned adjacent each end of side rails 12. Aforementioned side rails are novelly constructed to present an upper channel 16 and a lowerchannel 18 disposed in back-to-back relation with the legs 60 thereof extending in opposite directions, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 5. 'Upper channel 16 is narrow and lower'channel 18 is comparatively wide to present la foundation plate whichf will rest upon the earth and prevent settling. A wall 20, preferablyformed of corrugated sheet metal and `arched as shown, closes oneside of frame 10 and is positioned to extend thereabove, whereby a .longitudinal passageway 22v is created through the culvert.` Wall 20 is positioned by 70 inserting the longitudinal edges thereof into upper channel 16 between the legs thereof so that the novel-joint contemplated by this invention might be utilized. This joint is illustrated in detail in Fig. 5 and since it establishes a positive 75 connection between wall 20 and channel.16, and channel 16 and channel 18 are spot welded or otherwise rigidly secured together in the relation illustrated, ,it is` obvious that the entire culvert will become av rigid structure when ready for installation. A

The joint between channel 16 and wall 20 comprises holes 24 and 26 formed through the legs `of channel 16. AThese holes are the same diameter but offset a.:ially.v Another hole 28 is formed 86 through the marginal edge of wall 20 and is substantially greater in diameter than holes 24 and 26. When the edge of wall 2.0 is rested upon the bottom of channel 16, hole 28 is somewhat higher than holes 24 and 26 and a lateral strain 90 is created upon rivet 30 which is driven to a place where it passes through all of these holes. Rivet 30 ,is specially formed to present a conical end 3 2 and an annular groove 34 disposed adjacent said conical end. A head 36 is formed onthe other 95 end of rivet 30 and when the parts are positioned as shown, rivet 30 may bel driven to place where the edge of hole 26 will be within groove 34. Conical end 32 obviouslyassists such action and a terrific securing force is exerted when the edge of wall 20 is against the bottom of channel 16.- 'I'he above mentioned manner of assembling the parts is simply reversed when it is desired to replace wall 20 or any one of rivets 30. The rivet may be driven back by forcing groove 34 out of 105 engagement with the edge of hole 26 and a.l newl rivet put in its place.

Transverse tie bars 14 have their upper edge lish with they upper edges of channels 16 and rest upon the laterally extended portions of channel 18 to be riveted thereto as at 38. A depending apron that is in a plane transverse to the major plane of frame 10 is carried by each tie bar 14 respectively. The aprons 40 intermediate the ends of frame 10 are of a length the width of frame l0, as shown in Figs. 2 and 6. Where the apron is of a length equal to the full width of frame 10, it is specially formed as shown in Fig. 6. This apron 42 passes beneath lower` channel 18 and has a projection 44 projecting into channel 18 between the depending legs thereof.

In some instances where highly washable soil isencountered it may be necessary to extend these intermediate aprons in a manner just described.

One of the paramount features of this invention is the creation at vthe end or ends of a culvert, of settling wells 46. These wells extend beyond the ends of the culvert and are in a place where water flowing through passageway 22 thereof will first enter the wells 46 before traveling along its course. Obviously, a retarding will take place and settling out of the heavier particles of earth, sand and gravel will always maintain this settling well 46 at allevel substantially as shown in Fig. 4 and the creation of a deep hole or back wash as has been previously experienced will be eliminated.

'Ihese settling wells 46 are created by aprons 48 which are carried by frame 10 at the ends thereof. In such instances, aprons 48 are extended beyond frame 10 in a circumscribing path that is preferably continuous. andy which may be of any form and scope.

The depth of the settling well 46 or the width` of apron 48 is and may be substantially the same as the width of immediate aprons 40 and 42, as the case may be. All of the depending aprons are preferably secured to transverse tie bars 14 and extend therewith to a point above the lower edges of wall 20 and into the passageway 22 formed by the wall.

When a culvert such as that described has been installed, the settling wells 46 created by aprons 48 and aprons 40 and 42, as the case may be, will maintain a level oor throughout the length of the entire culvert, such as shown in Fig. 4. Thus Water will be carried beyond a point where it can do damage and a subterranean passage will be thoroughly guarded against washing of any type. The depending aprons 40 and 48 may vary in Width, but the proportion illustrated might be followed successfully and yet allow the culvert to be used in substerranean passages where the iioor level thereof is inclined.

In Fig. 3 is shown arnumber of frames 10 arranged in abutting relation, the point of abutment being at 50. When such arrangement is made to fulfill the requirements of an exceptionally long subterranean passage, any suitable splicing plate 52 might be inserted within lower channel 18 and riveted at the abutting channels.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A culvert comprising a frame; a wall closing one side of the frame and disposed thereabove; and an apron carried by one end of the frame and disposed therebelow, said apron being in a circumscribing path to form a settling well beyond the end of said culvert.

2. A culvert comprising a frame; a wall closing on one side of the frame and disposed thereabove; and an apron carried by one end of the frame and extending downwardly from the other side of said frame, said apron being disposed in a plane no greater than relatively small at right angles to the plane of said frame and in a circumsoribing path to form a settling well beyond the end of the frame.

3. A culvert comprising a frame; a wall closing one side of the frame and disposed thereabove; an apron carried adjacent one end of the frame and extending downwardly from the other side of said frame; and an apron carried by the frame intermediate the ends thereof, said aprons being disposed at an angle to the plane of the frame, the first mentioned apron being in a continuous circumscribing path to form a settling well beyond the end of said culvert and below the plane of the upper portion of said frame.

4. In a culvert, a longitudinal passageway formed therethrough above one side of a substantially open planar base frame and a plurality of aprons extending downwardly from said base frame, one of said aprons adjacent the end of said culvert being disposed in a circumscribing path to form a settling well beyond the end of the passageway.

5. In a culvert of the character described, a frame having longitudinally extending side rails; transverse tie bars joining the said side rails to. hold the same in spaced relation; and a wall closing one side of the frame, and disposed thereabove, said opposed channel members with their respective legs disposed in opposite directions, the longitudinal edges of the said wall being within one of said channels.

6. In a culvert of the character described, a frame having longitudinally extending side rails; and an arcuate wall closing one side of the frame and disposed thereabove, said side rails each comprising upper and lower channel members rigidly secured together in back-to-back relation with the legs thereof extending vertically in opposed relation, the lower channel being appreciably wider than the upper and projecting laterally on each side thereof whereby to form a foundation, the longitudinal'edges of said side wall being within the upper channel member.y

'7. In a culvert of the character described, a frame having longitudinally extending side rails, comprising upper and `lower opposed channels rigidly secured together along the backs thereof; tie bars connecting said side rails with their upper edges flush with the upper edges of the said upper channel; and an arcuate wall over one side of the frame, the longitudinal edges of said wall being within the uppermost channel.

8. In a culvert of the character described, a frame having longitudinally extending side rails, comprising upper and lower opposed channels; tie bars connecting said side rails and positioned above said lower channels; an arcuate wall over one side of the frame having its longitudinal edges within the uppermost channel; and an apron carried by each tie bar, extending downwardly from the frame.

9. In a culvert of the character described, a frame having longitudinally extending side rails, comprising upper and lower opposed channels disposed in back-to-back relation; tie bars connecting said side rails with their upper edges adjacent to the upper edges of the said upper channel; an arcuate wall over one side of the frame having its longitudinal edges within the uppermostY channel; and an apron carried by each tie bar, extending downwardly from the frame, said lower channels being appreciably wider than the upper channels and extending laterally to each side thereof, the said aprons side rails each comprising a pair ofclosing the space between the lowermost channels.

10. In a culvert of the character described, a frame having longitudinally extending side rails, comprising upper and lower opposed channels rigidly secured together along the backs thereof; tie bars connecting said side rails positioned above said lower channels; an arcuate wall over one side of the frame having its longitudinal 

